Matthew Williams has been big his entire life. He’s tried to lose weight tried many different classes and trainers hoping for different results. As a self-described competitor, it wasn’t the challenge that kept him down. It was the lack of consistent motivation. That was until he met trainer and physical therapist Keith Pacific. Keith said right then he knew Matthew was the right client to represent his business, Physique Physical Therapy and Personal Training, in South Tampa Magazine’s sixth annual Losing Big competition.

Boy, was he right.

Matthew lost an astounding 79 pounds to not only win the contest, but also set a South Tampa Magazine record for most pounds lost. He was just one pound short of his contest goal. And at 249.5 pounds, he’s the lightest he’s been in, well, ever.

“I feel great,” Matthew said. “I don’t remember the last time I was under 300 pounds. Maybe in high school.”

What’s more impressive is how he lost the weight. The way Keith describes it, the plan consisted of good old-fashioned hard work and portion control.

“He did it all without any supplements other than protein,” Keith said.

That was the goal all along—to not only help him lose the weight but also get him started on a new path to a healthier lifestyle. While the sweat equity invested in this competition has paid off dearly today, that first month was stressful on the team.

Each week was pre-planned, taking away any guesswork with the routine. Matthew visited Physique’s downtown gym five days a week, most times on his lunch break, for hour-long sessions. Many weeks he even came in on the weekends.

“I saw him more than I saw my wife,” Keith said.

When he started, Matthew could barely last two minutes on the elliptical. But Keith used a combination of cardio and strength circuit training to build his endurance. Once a solid foundation was in place, Keith was able to set fitness goals for him to reach. Ever the competitor, Matthew’s attitude was the difference maker in taking the turn to a healthier lifestyle.

“I made him work for it,” Keith said. “My idea was to structure the workouts with short term goals so that he was always being challenged. Once he hit that goal, I’d ramp it up. He was great at following directions and pushing himself.”

The holidays weren’t a distraction, either. With all of his family out of town, Matthew didn’t have the temptation of bad foods. He even decided to meet Keith on Thanksgiving morning for a workout. Cheat days were incorporated periodically, though. One day Keith treated him to the Thai buffet at Lemon Grass Thai Kitchen. They were the first ones in line that day.

Sure, the midpoint was rough and the two had their squabbles. But once Matthew hit the 290 mark, he knew the competition was his to win.

“The beginning was the hardest, no doubt,” he said. “But I love the competition.”

Matthew turns 30 in June, so he’s setting new personal goals. He wants to get to 220 pounds by his birthday so he can spend the day skydiving. He’ll take one week off to celebrate and then get back after it with Keith.

One this is for certain: If Matthew finds someone seriously considering weight loss he’s sending them to Physique Physical.

“Keith knows what he’s doing,” he said. “Even though I complained a lot, he did a great job motivating me and pushing me.”

For more information on Physique Physical Therapy and Personal Training, call (813) 293-8066 or visit www.PhysiqueTherapy.com.